Jealousy
by kit-scagliotti
Summary: It was an alien emotion to her. It was like a venomous snake twisting inside her.


**A/N: Okay, so this is my first piece in a while. I don't know about you guys but I ship IchiRuki. Now this is my thought about what it must be like to have someone you love, not return the feeling. It was meant to be much shorter but it kinda evolved the more I wrote.**

**Hope you enjoy,**

**^Kit **

Jealousy. It was an unfamiliar emotion to her. But then again it was something she wanted really badly, wanted him badly.

She would look at the two of them together, it always seemed to be the two of them even in large groups, and feel a sinking in the pit of her stomach. It was as if her heart was being sucked away.

She watched the two of them argue. His face growing redder by the second and her voice growing louder as she turned her face upwards to glare at him.

"Midget, don't even get me started on last night's hollow attack, you should not have done that."

"Baka, I don't need you protecting me all the time."

The couple continues to argue.

Tatsuki is glancing at her now. Her eyes following till she lands on the arguing couple, her eyes widen in acknowledgement. Her eyes fill with sympathy as she looks her and her hand reaches out to grasp Orihime's.

There are no words that Tatsuki can say, she is as inexperienced as Orihime is but more aware than she lets on. Someone has to protect her best friend's innocence. She just can't protect Orihime from this.

It's the next morning when she sees him again. He seems withdrawn and the light has faded from his eyes. Ishida enquires as to where Rukia is. He scowls as he says she went back to Soul Society.

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun." She says automatically. She knows she is anything but sorry. Her competition is now another world away, he is hers again. _He never was yours. _She recoils from the mean voice in her head, the voice always taking the shape of her hollowified brother and taunting her.

She looks at Ichigo, he is staring out the window and he seems a million miles away as he stares out the window. He misses her, she tells herself as she turns to face the front. She concentrates on the lesson, her sensei educating the class on the chemical principles. Orihime writes down the notes absentmindedly doodling in the margins and its only when the bell rings does she see she has been drawing hearts with I's in the middle.

The class has packed up and left. Ichigo is still staring out the window, oblivious to all around him.

"Kurosaki-kun? Class has finished, we should head to the next one." She says, reaching out to lightly touch his shoulder.

He visibly jumps as his eyes widen with shock. He looks up at her. "Thanks Inoue. Where are we next?"

"Math, Kurosaki-kun."

He stands up and collects his bag. "Ok, then let's go. Takahashi-sensei doesn't like it when we're late."

Rukia is gone for two months and counting. Ichigo returns to normal somewhat. He is still hunting hollows and arguing with Ishida. But every so often she catches him staring off to the side, or he says something and he pauses for a brief second as if waiting for her to comment.

She stops by his house to deliver some leftover bread from the bakery she works at. She yells for him and he opens the front door to left her in. he invites her up to his bedroom to share some of the bread with him. He heart hammers as she enters through the door. She has been here before, but never alone with him.

He makes polite chit chat and she can barely speak she is so nervous. When she leaves she says she'll be back this time every week to drop off bread. He shakes his head, saying she doesn't have to and that she should share with their other friends. She tells him that she already delivers bread to Sado and Ishida on other days. He shrugs saying she is welcome to if she feels like it.

It becomes a weekly habit for the next four months. Ichigo even letting her just enter the house when she arrives. _Only because he doesn't have the energy to let you in every time._ The voice sneers. She ignores the voice and enters the house, waving to Yuzu and Karin who are in the lounge. She climbs the stairs and knocks on Ichigo's door.

"Who is it?" He asks.

"It's me, Kurosaki-kun."

Two seconds later the door opens. "Yo Inoue."

He leaves the door open and retreats back into his room.

"Hello Orihime!"

She stops as she sees Rukia sitting on Ichigo's bed while he is at his desk. Though the voice sneers at her, she smiles at her friend. Competition or not Rukia is still her friend and one of the few people to believe that she could help fight in the Winter War.

"Hello Rukia-chan. It is good to have you back!"

They sit down to chat and Orihime cannot help but notice that the light is back in Ichigo's eyes.

Two weeks later there is a massive hollow attack. It takes all five of them to subdue them. Ichigo and Rukia go after the biggest hollows. Sado taking a small group, while Ishida and her take the remaining group. After an hour's battle there are no more hollows and it's peaceful again. Everyone is grinning and panting, it was a job well done.

It was unexpected to them all as a long claw abruptly emerged from Rukia's left shoulder. In movements too quick for her eye to follow, Ichigo had killed the hollow and caught Rukia before she fell to the ground.

There was a moment of shocked silence which was punctuated by the faint dripping noise as blood began to ooze out of Rukia's wound.

"You aren't allowed to leave me." He whispers to her while cradling her in his arms. "You cannot leave me, do you understand?" It's meant to sound like a command but it's pleading.

She manages a small smile. "Baka, I'm never going anywhere." She reaches up and places a hand on his cheek.

Orihime blushes feeling like she is witnessing something she shouldn't. Simultaneously she feels her heart breaking and taking a large gulp to swallow the tears. Ichigo looks at her, his eyes telling her to please heal the woman in his arms. She does so wordlessly, she can only watch as Ichigo smiles as Rukia is healed. They never break eye contact the entire time.

Sometime during Rukia's healing, Ishida places a hand on her shoulder. He stays behind with her after everyone leaves and holds her as she cries. He whispers that he knows what it's like to love someone who doesn't return it. He walks her home in silence as they reach her front door she is about to ask who, but he quickly departs.

It comes as no surprise to her a few days later when she stumbles upon them kissing is a deserted classroom. She feels like she is intruding again. _You are intruding, this is not for you. _The voice teases.

She silently backs away, her freshly healed scars threatening to burst open all over again. She bumps into Ishida and he knows what she saw just by the look on her face. He grabs her hand and wipes away a tear that managed to escape.

"I'll walk you home." He says.

She's about to say that he doesn't have to bother but before she can get the words out she hears him whisper.

"If anything happens to you, it would be the death of me."

**Aaaaand it's done. I hope you guys enjoyed. I don't hate Orihime, I just don't think she is strong enough for Ichigo and you are welcome to disagree with me (wrongly of course :P).**

**But to quote someone on DeviantArt: "I don't wish Orihime bad; I just don't wish her Ichigo."**

**Thanks,**

**^Kit**


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